Back in 1975 and 1976, Joni Mitchell took a series of road trips that resulted in a series of albums that were rooted in jazz.
Now, that period in Mitchell’s career is a theme of a new box set, The Asylum Albums (1976-1980), that compiles four of some of her best albums: 1976’s Hejira, 1977’s Don Juan’s Reckless Daughter (with alternate cover art), 1979’s Mingus, and the 1980 live album Shadows and Light.
This new set, with artwork taken from one of Joni’s paintings, comes with liner notes from acclaimed actress Meryl Streep, who honored Mitchell in 2022 with a MusiCares’ Person of the Year tribute.
These albums are fully jazz-inspired and found Joni in session with the likes of such master players as Larry Carlton and Pat Metheny (guitar), Michael Brecker (saxophone), Herbie Hancock (keyboard), and Don Alias (percussion), as well as several members of Weather Report, including Jaco Pastorius (bass) and Wayne Shorter (saxophone).
The release of The Asylum Albums (1976-1980), sets the stage for the Joni Mitchell Archives Vol. 4, the next installment in the archival series dedicated to exploring Mitchell’s career through unreleased studio and live recordings.
Joni Mitchell will perform at the Hollywood Bowl on October 19 and 20 for two highly anticipated sold-out shows. These are Mitchell’s first Los Angeles headlining shows in more than two decades. On both nights, she’ll be accompanied by the Joni Jam ensemble.
